About the work
Prima Facie is an acclaimed one-woman play by the Australian-British playwright Suzie Miller, premiered in 2019 at the Stables Theatre in Sydney. It became world-famous through the 2022 London West End production starring Jodie Comer, who won the Olivier Award for it and later a Tony Award on Broadway. Carried by a single actress, the play combines a gripping courtroom drama with a sharp critique of how the justice system handles sexual violence. Suzie Miller, herself trained in law, draws on intimate knowledge of the legal world.
Plot
Tessa is a brilliant young defence barrister who has worked her way from modest origins to the top of her profession. With quick wit and a will to win she defends her clients, cross-examines witnesses and wins case after case – including trials for sexual assault. Then she herself becomes the victim of a rape and suddenly finds herself on the other side of the system. As a witness in her own case, she experiences how the burden of proof, patriarchal structures and the rules of the court crush the truth of those affected. The successful lawyer becomes an accuser of the system itself.
Cultural significance
With its premiere, Prima Facie struck the nerve of the #MeToo movement and grew into an international theatrical success with far-reaching impact. The play has sparked debates in several countries about the legal handling of sexual violence and continues to influence the training of judges. Suzie Miller later reworked the material into a novel, and a film adaptation is in progress. As a powerful solo work about law, power and justice, it ranks among the most important theatrical texts of the present day.